In my religion class I was assigned to study and talk about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ can help with chronic and mental illness. This is a topic I have studied and have loved to learn about. With mental illness one may feel that they are unworthy for God’s love or if God does care about them as if they are not important enough. THIS HOW EVER IS NEVER THE CASE! Our Heavenly Father is eager for us to speak to Him, He desires for us to ask for His help. We need to ask because God respects our agency and won’t take it away from us. No matter what we have done God will never take away the gift of prayer. We are what matters most to God! He will always love us because we are his children.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint has put out many powerful videos online at lds.org/mentalhealth. The first video is Elder Holland an Apostle has he tell a bit about his spout with mental illness and testifies of Christ love to help give us strength through our trails. The other videos are personal accounts of individuals from all different background struggling with different forms of mental health and how the Atonement of Christ and his love has not just helped them endure but to find light and beauty in life and most importantly in themselves!
Many of my family and friends and I have and are struggling with mental illness. As for myself the study of the Gospel and trying to understand Christ’s perfect love has helped me through many trails.
suicidepreventionlifeline.org is a website that gives you a number to call if you are struggling with suicide. On this website you can also online chat with someone. Other additional information on this website talks about how you can help someone who is struggling weather you know them or how to help your community and it also tells you what happens if you did call or talk to someone when you are in need.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help is a good website to help someone find health care provider. This is important because sometimes we need medical help and not just gritted teeth. Medical help is available and has helped out many people.
In Mathew 13:44 it says
“¶ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
This scripture can bring you comfort if you think of the scripture in this way. The man who “selleth all that he hath” is Christ and the treasure in the field is you. You as an individual is worth that much to the Savior that there is nothing He wouldn’t give for you! He buys all of you not just the good or part He buys the whole field you are in! He loves you and wants you to be in Heaven with Him, Because Heaven wouldn’t be Heaven without you. You are part of God’s family and a family isn’t Whole if someone is missing. I challenge you to reach out this week and build up one of our family members and let them know we are thankful to have them in our life. I will also take on this challenge.
Cole Bowman 